Posted on 31 October 2016 @ 5:07pm

Sahara Desert Adventures

October 26th - the day had arrived, the day we would leave any sign of civilization behind and head right into the desert. Breakfast wasn’t until 10:00 so that meant that it was sleep-in day, which we all really needed. We loaded onto the bus for the millionth time and we were off to ride camels, or dromedaries if you want to be specific. Everyone was really exited. We had all heard how amazing the Sahara was but I don’t think anyone could describe how amazing it actually is. Half of us got on the dromedaries and half of us walked. Riding a dromedary was similar to riding a horse, only less stable. Some of us crossed our legs, which seemed to be a good idea until Lily fell off her dromedary because she lost her balance. Luckily she didn’t hurt herself.

Posted on 31 October 2016 @ 4:51pm

MORROCO PORT PROGRAMMING

As you may be aware, after many unforeseen changes the Class Afloat crew is now back onboard the Gulden Leeuw and eager to set sail for the Canary Islands! “Without the rocks the river would not sing.” Although these last couple weeks were a surprise and a shock to us all, met with both excitement and frustration, as we near the end of our unplanned adventure it is clear that we will continue to be thrilled by whatever incredible experience we meet along our journey. These changes have only given us the chance to become closer together not only as a crew but a Class Afloat family.

Posted on 26 October 2016 @ 1:53pm

Marrakech

A couple of days ago we left our home in Andalucía, Spain to start our next adventure - in Morocco! We were all very excited to have a foot on a new continent: AFRICA! It was, for a bunch of us, our baptism into the African territory. Indeed, all students and faculty members were eager to experience its fascinating cultures and traditions, to discover its historical roots and, mostly, to get to know its people. Although our pre-established plan of travelling onboard our floating home for this branch of the voyage fell to pieces, we were able to cross the Strait of Gibraltar by ferry, thus arriving in Morocco five days ahead of the original schedule! Some of us were a little disappointed by that news, but, eh, if there’s a great thing that we could draw from our experiences this past month, it is that sometimes letting go of your expectations and stepping out of your comfort zone can lead you to delightful surprises and unforgettable memories. Besides, where is the excitement in travelling if you don't challenge yourself and have the occasional, spontaneous change of plans?

Posted on 26 October 2016 @ 1:24pm

Plan C: Let’s go to Marrakesh by bus!!

Posted on 17 October 2016 @ 6:48pm

Several days ago we awoke to a majestic double rainbow all the way across the sky. We have gone canyoning, hiking, and have explored some of the cities of southern Spain such as Seville and La Ronda. La Ronda has a huge bridge in the middle of the place that connects the two parts of the town (they are separated by a cliff). It’s called the “Holy S**t Bridge” because when you walk over it you, it’s so beautiful that it makes you want to yell “Holy S**t”! While in La Ronda I went to McDonalds 3 times. In Seville we went to very nice dinner show and got to see some really impressive Spanish dancing. We are staying in a nice hostel in the mountains of southern Spain, and from the front door you can see for miles. Right in front of us each day is a landscape made up of mountains and tiny villages that are more than 4000 years old.

Posted on 17 October 2016 @ 6:23pm

Clothes, both clean and dirty alike were shoved into sail bags as we packed with anticipation for our two-week adventure to Spain. After a delicious last lunch from our beloved cook Lily, we boarded our coach ready for our new adventure. After a few hours, we stopped to gorge ourselves on a mixture of delicious Spanish foods and good old-fashioned road trip snacks. As the sun set, we started to head up the mountainside, our huge bus lurching from side to side as we snaked our way up the winding roads. At 10 pm, a mere nine hours after we left, we finally made it to the UNEDCO Pavilion, our new home. That first night all we saw was our pillows, but the next morning we awoke to the stunning beauty of the Spanish country side. Our first breakfast was still in darkness but as we gathered for our daily morning muster, the sun started to peak its head over the mountainside, smiling down upon our drowsy faces. Our dorm is located on the top of the hill overlooking the beautiful valley of Algodonales Spain, and the nearby town of La Muela. A large area located just north of the Strait of Gibraltar, Algodonales is of the southern most points of Europe, and a breeding ground for a vulture community that roams the sky day and night. Along with the vultures, paragliders roam the skies every evening taking advantage of the ever present warm air.

Posted on 11 October 2016 @ 5:52pm

Class A-Coach Goes to Southern Spain

When the bus rolled up on the pier, the feelings were wide-spread: on one hand everyone seemed to be stoked to spend two weeks in the Spanish countryside but on the other hand it was weird to leave the Gulden Leeuw behind along with the crew who we all had become very fond of. The ship has become our home after all.

Posted on 28 September 2016 @ 6:28pm

Posted on 26 September 2016 @ 6:12pm

Ship Life: Life On-Board the Gulden Leeuw

I wondered for a long time what to write about to tell you about what our lives are like in this program and I’ve decided to show you what a normal day on the ship is like. I will talk you through an average day from the time we wake up (well hardly wake up!) to the best moment of our day: BED TIME. Okay let’s start.

Posted on 8 April 2016 @ 5:53pm

We had a wonderful tour with Ted’s Tours, travelling around the entire island of Barbados. It was full of magnificent views, beautiful beaches and plenty of jokes. Our guide, Ted, provided non stop entertainment for the entire day. We stopped at a local bakery and purchased some wonderful pastries. After lunch we headed to Harrison’s Caves to do a tram tour of the caves. They are beautiful, and the fresh water inside the caves is so clean and pure you can drink straight from them. After the cave tour we headed to Crane beach and spent the afternoon having some fun in the sun. The surf was good enough to body surf, so a few people rented boogie boards while others played some beach volleyball. Overall it was a wonderful day in paradise!

A group of students did some volunteer work at the local RSPCA and spent some time walking, bathing and playing with the puppies and kittens. Another group of students volunteered to plant breadfruit trees as part of the Future Trees program.